Mankato standoff ends after 43 hours; missing 2-year-old found

40+ hour standoff ends in Mankato

40+ hour standoff ends in Mankato

The Mankato Department of Public Safety says a standoff that began Tuesday evening at Hilltop Lane Apartments ended Thursday afternoon, leading to the discovery of a missing 2-year-old boy and his non-custodial father.

A city spokesperson said Walter Brown and his son were found safe and were taken to an area hospital for evaluation.

Police had been trying to find the boy since March 29 after he was allegedly taken from a home in the 1200 block of Pohl Road, according to records.

A city news release mentions that Brown got into an “altercation” with the child’s mother.

Since then, Brown, 29, was charged in Blue Earth County Court with violating an order of protection and refusing to return a child of whom he didn’t have custody, based on court documents filed on April 4.

Investigators tracked Brown’s cell phone in late March to a Tennessee airport, according to records.

Back on Tuesday evening, Mankato police say they were trying to apprehend a suspect in the case, who ran away from an officer and allegedly fired a gun at a pursuing officer at the apartment complex.

The officer was not injured.

This still image from a video shared by Jessica Brown shows a man on the balcony of a Mankato apartment where law enforcement officials endured a 43-hour standoff while attempting to bring a suspect into custody. (Courtesy of Jessica Brown)

“They told me to stay away from the house,” said Jack Thompson, a neighbor at the complex. “It was scary.”

A peaceful end to the standoff came Thursday afternoon, 43 hours later, when police reported the incident at Hilltop Lane was over and that Brown was found and the toddler was safe.

“I’m glad for that. I can’t find the words — I’m happy that he’s fine,” said a man who lives at the complex who asked that his identity not be shared.

Mankato police have shared no details about how the standoff ended. In a statement, the department said it would not be taking any questions due to the investigation.